In a bag there are 5 quarters, 2 nickels, and 3 dimes. One coin is selected at random,
replaced, and then another coin is selected
. What is the probability of selecting a
quarter followed by a
nickel?



Answer :

Let's tackle the problem step by step.

### Step 1: Determine the total number of coins in the bag.
The bag contains:
- 5 quarters
- 2 nickels
- 3 dimes

Adding these, we get:
[tex]\[ 5 + 2 + 3 = 10 \][/tex]

So, the total number of coins in the bag is 10.

### Step 2: Calculate the probability of selecting a quarter.
The probability of selecting a quarter is the number of quarters divided by the total number of coins:
[tex]\[ P(\text{Quarter}) = \frac{\text{Number of quarters}}{\text{Total number of coins}} = \frac{5}{10} = \frac{1}{2} \][/tex]

### Step 3: Calculate the probability of selecting a nickel.
The probability of selecting a nickel is the number of nickels divided by the total number of coins:
[tex]\[ P(\text{Nickel}) = \frac{\text{Number of nickels}}{\text{Total number of coins}} = \frac{2}{10} = \frac{1}{5} \][/tex]

### Step 4: Calculate the probability of selecting a quarter followed by a nickel.
Since the coin is replaced after the first selection, the draw of the second coin is independent of the first draw. Therefore, the combined probability of both events happening (selecting a quarter first and then a nickel) is the product of their individual probabilities:
[tex]\[ P(\text{Quarter then Nickel}) = P(\text{Quarter}) \times P(\text{Nickel}) = \left(\frac{1}{2}\right) \times \left(\frac{1}{5}\right) = \frac{1}{10} \][/tex]

### Conclusion
The probability of selecting a quarter followed by a nickel is:
[tex]\[ \frac{1}{10} \][/tex]

This is the final answer.

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